Category: Advanced (Level AAA)

Define words where meaning is ambiguous without pronunciation. 

Introduction

You can help your users by paying attention to words where the meaning isn’t clear unless the word is pronounced (or spoken). Words like these can make it hard for your users to understand your content, especially if they use a screen reader (which could pronounce words incorrectly) or have limited reading comprehension.

This covers words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently (for example, ‘bow’ v ‘bow’) – also known as heteronyms.

How to Pass ‘Pronunciation’

• Avoid using words where the meaning, in context, is ambiguous.
  
• If you need to use such a word, you can explain the meaning to your users by:
  
  • Providing a phonetic guide immediately after the word; or
    
  • Linking the word to a phonetic guide.
    

‘Pronunciation’ Exceptions

If the word is clear from the context of the sentence (for example “Robin Hood used a bow and arrow”).

See Also

• Unusual Words
• Abbreviations
• Reading Level
• Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.6 (W3C)

‘Reading Level’ requires that users with nine years of schooling can read your content.

Introduction

All of your users need to be able to read your content. That means you need to write with a range of people in mind, from a College Professor to someone straight out of school.

The key is to write as simply as you can, in clear and plain language, as this will help users with reading and comprehension difficulties. 

The generally agreed level to aim for is someone with nine years of schooling, starting from primary education. 

How to Pass ‘Reading Level’

• Write content that a person with 7-9 years of schooling can understand by:
  
  • Writing the content so someone with no more than nine years of school can understand you (that’s nine years from their first day at school, so no college or further education).
    
  • Adding summaries, images and diagrams to content to help explain meaning.
    
  • Breaking up content with well-organised sections and headings.
    
• Provide a link to supplemental content that further explains complex content.

Tips

• You can never write something that every human on the planet will understand.
  
• Short sentences are easiest to understand.
  
• Stick to one topic per paragraph and one thought per sentence.
  
• Avoid slang, jargon and idioms.
  
• Use common words.
  
• Write how people speak.
  
• Use bullet points.
  
• Use active, not passive, language (for example, ‘The words were written by Luke’ is passive, but ‘Luke wrote the words’ is active).
  
  

‘Reading Level’ Exceptions

You don’t need to worry about using correct names, even if they are complicated or hard to read. Names of things like people, films, books and companies all might be hard to read, but they are beyond your control.

See Also

• Unusual Words
• Abbreviations
• Pronunciation
• Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.5 (W3C)

Define any abbreviations.

Introduction

Using abbreviations can cause confusion and prevent some of your users from understanding your website. Users with limited memory, cognitive impairments or a reliance on screen magnifier may struggle with shortened words and phrases. 

Avoid using abbreviations where you can and explain them when you need to use them.

Abbreviations (like Dr for Doctor) also include acronyms (NATO) and initialisms (FBI).

How to Pass ‘Abbreviations’

• Avoid using abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms.
  
• If you need to use an abbreviation, you can explain the meaning to your users by:
  
  • Showing the meaning in the text (for example, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)); or
    
  • Linking to a definition on a glossary page on your website; or
    
  • Linking to a definition footnote on the same page; or
    
  • Using the “abbr” HTML tag.

Tips

• The tidiest solution when you need to abbreviate is the HTML option, which creates a hidden expansion that appears on hover and is understood by screen readers.
  
• If your use of an abbreviation always means the same thing, you only have to define it the first time it appears on a page.
  
• If your use changes you must define the word on every occasion (for example ‘Dr’ might mean ‘Doctor’ in one paragraph and ‘Drive’ as part of an address in another).
  
• Think of creative ways to avoid abbreviations. For example, rather than “FBI” you could use “Federal Bureau of Investigation” once then “the Bureau” afterwards).
  

‘Abbreviations’ Exceptions

You don’t need to explain an abbreviation, acronym or initialism if it’s part of the language (for example, “laser” or “CD”).

See Also

• Unusual Words
• Reading Level
• Pronunciation
• Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.4 (W3C)

Define any unusual words or phrases.

Introduction

Some of your users will find it hard to read unusual uses of words on your website. Things like figurative language, idioms and jargon can be difficult to process. Users who read your content zoomed in may struggle with unusual words if they can’t see the context around them.

Avoid using unusual words where you can and explain the use of words when you need to use them.

How to Pass ‘Unusual Words’

• Avoid using technical, figurative or idiomatic words and phrases.
  
• If you need to use an unusual word or phrase, you can explain the meaning to your users by:
  
  • Showing the meaning in the text (for example, ‘I like bass. A bass is a fish.’); or
  • Showing the meaning in brackets (for example, ‘I like bass (a type of fish)’; or
  • Linking the word to a definition on a glossary page on your website; or
  • Linking the word to a definition footnote on the same page.

‘Unusual Words’ Tips

• If your use of an unusual word always means the same thing, you only have to define it the first time.
  
• If your use of an unusual word changes, you must define the word on every occasion (for example, a bass might be a type of fish in one paragraph and a musical instrument in another).
  
• Always define technical terms and jargon that any user might not understand depending on their familiarity with the subject.
  
• Wherever possible, avoid using jargon and idioms. These are bad for novices in your industry and users who don’t natively speak your language.

See Also

• Abbreviations
• Reading Level
• Pronunciation
• Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.3 (W3C)